Messenger
1. Messenger allows you to send messages to other users. Click Messenger at the bottom of the screen to open the Messenger window.
Students and parents can only send messages to their assigned teachers. Teachers can send messages to their students, students' parents, and school staff.
2. Recent chats, users who have recently been sent a message, display on the right side of the screen. Click the user's name to open the chat again.
3. There are two icons in the upper right corner of the messenger window. Click the first one to open Batch Messenger, described below. Click the second settings icon to open Preferences.
a. To send a batch message, select the Students, Parents, and/or Staff users to whom the message is being sent from the Send To: section and the corresponding pull-downs. Note: You can select multiple users from combined pull-downs.
b. Select the Send To Students check box to send the message to the students selected from the Send To: Students pull-down. Select the Send To Parents check box to send the message to all parents of the students selected from the Send To: Students pull-down and/or the parents selected from the Send To: Parents pull-down.
c. Type the message into the provided text box. You can also use the listed features: Bold, Italic, Underline, Strikethrough, Insert Special Character, and Smiley.
d. Click Send. You can also click the X in the right upper corner of the screen to close Batch Messenger or click the Cancel button.
Utilize the Filter text box located at the top of the pull-down for a quick search. Begin typing the name of the desired user. You can also click the Check all visible and Clear selected links for quick selections.
To customize Messenger, click the Preferences icon and select the check boxes for listed features you'd like to include.
When customization is complete, click Save. You can also click the X in the right upper corner of the screen to close Preferences or click the Cancel button.
4. To begin a new message, click the group, such as Students, Parents, or Staff listed at the bottom of the Messenger (Recent Chats) screen. Then, select the student, parent, or staff member from the listed users.
To quickly locate the user in question, start typing their name in the Filter text box.
5. Selecting a user will open a new messaging screen. Type your message in the provided text box and press Enter to send the message.
6. Upon sending a message, you have several additional options listed along the bottom of the window. These options include (listed from left to right): SpellCheck, Bold, Italic, Underline, Strikethrough, Insert Special Character, and Smiley.
7. Once the window is open, you can minimize it by clicking the arrow, or close the window, by clicking the X.
8. You also have the option to flag messages by clicking the red flag next to the date and time stamp at the top of the messaging window.
Upon selecting Flag Message, the message will be hidden from all users involved unless you click Unflag Message. Flagging message is a great tool for message that should be reported and reviewed by administrative staff. Flagging a message allows administration to review problematic messages without having the search through all messages sent.
Referrals can be created as needed as a consequence to a message. If the message has already been flagged, click Create Referral. If the message has not been flagged, and you want to flag the message and create the referral all at once, click Flag Message & Create Referral. See Add Referral for more information about creating referrals.
Profanity and other inappropriate language is automatically flagged in Focus Messenger.
1. New messages via Messenger display in the Alerts section of the Portal page. Click the message here to open Messenger.
You can click the Messenger icon from any screen, which also alerts you to new messages indicated by the number of messages.
2. New message display in the New Alerts section. Click the user's name to open the new message.
3. Clicking the message alert opens the user's message in a new Messenger window. Here you can read new messages and reply.
If a student has uploaded an assignment, you will receive a Messenger alert for the assignment as well.
1. Click the message in the Alerts section of the Portal page.
You can click the Messenger icon from any screen, which also alerts you to new messages indicated by the number of messages.
The name of the student displays along with the name of the assignment uploaded.
2. Click the alert to open the Gradebook and view the uploaded assignment.
Click Close or the X to close the Uploaded Files pop-up window.
While on the Gradebook, click the grade link to open Uploaded Files again.
3. Click the green arrow to download and view the assignment.
4. Click the pencil icon to open and view the assignment in Focus where you can enter a grade in the Score text box, make edits (pencil icon), make comments, print, or download the assignment.
Click Return To Gradebook when finished.